page originally created by: Boberrybiscuit on 09/18/2025 08:52 AM
Background
public tv network launched may 16, 1954 owned by the ford foundation . shut down october 4, 1970
1st logo - 1954 to 1955
extremely rare opening. from "Great Ideas: War and peace", clipped by googlechrom3297
extremely rare closing. from "Great Ideas: War and peace", clipped by googlechrom3297
1954/10/08. from "The magic window", clipped by googlechrom3297
1955. from "Parents And Dr. Spock", clipped by aldenpbs
1955, superimposed. from "Children's Corner", clipped by googlechrom3297
1955, ultra rare opening. from "The finder: The riverboat race", clipped by googlechrom3297
1955, ultra rare closing. from "The finder: The riverboat race", clipped by googlechrom3297
Nicknames: "NET Map of America"
Visuals: hand-drawn
Audio: Mic
Rarity: Ultra Rare
CLG note:"This logo, despite being basic, is an interesting peek at the very early years of what would become PBS, back when it was a limited service for distributing educational films produced by local stations nationally."
2nd logo - 1955 to 1958
1955. clipped by googlechrom3297
1955, no announcer. from "Religion of man", clipped by googlechrom3297
1955, extended announcer. from "Parents and Dr. Spock", clipped by SBIMoonSquid
1955, rare alt voiceover opening. from E7 of "The Challenge of Foreign Policy", clipped by googlechrom3297
1955, rare alt voiceover closing. from E7 of "The Challenge of Foreign Policy", clipped by googlechrom3297
1956, opening. from "Books and Ideas", clipped by TheVintageTVArchive
1956, closing. from "Books and Ideas", clipped by TheVintageTVArchive
1957, opening. from "America looks abroad: Africa: Colonialism", clipped by googlechrom3297
1957, closing. from "America looks abroad: Africa: Colonialism", clipped by googlechrom3297
1957, closing. from "The Born Criminal", clipped by MJandST2926
1957, rare voice-over variant. from "Searchlights on Delinquency", clipped by jordanrioslogovaultisnolon6085
1957, rare announcer. from "The tales of Poindexter", clipped by googlechrom3297
1957, rare inverted opening. from "The art of the theatre", clipped by googlechrom3297
1957, rare inverted closing. from "The art of the theatre", clipped by googlechrom3297
1958, opening. from "People are Taught to be Different", clipped by OckGypsy
1958, closing. from "People are Taught to be Different", clipped by OckGypsy
1958, id. from "The Exceptional Child: The Blind", clipped by jadsi3
1958, no announcer. from "Archeology and the Bible", clipped by googlechrom3297
1958, rare announcer. from "Essentials of freedom: Freedom of communication", clipped by googlechrom3297
Nicknames: "NET Map of America II"
Visuals: camera-controlled and cel animation
Audio: Microfone
Rarity: Very Rare
CLG note:"This is the first NET logo to feature animation, albeit limited."
3rd logo - 1957 to 1959
1958. from "A large speck of progress", clipped by googlechrom3297 from FuzzyMemoriesTV
1958. from "Sing hi...sing lo", clipped by googlechrom3297 from SabuCat_Productions
1958. from "The great opposites", clipped by googlechrom3297
1958, it look different. from "From Capitol Hill", clipped by aldenpbs
1959, silent opening. from "Decision: The Constitution in action", clipped by googlechrom3297
1959, rare announcer. from "Invention in Dance", clipped by googlechrom3297
1959. from "The Exceptional Child", clipped by jordanrioslogovaultisnolon6085
1959. from S1E25 of "Search for America", clipped by jordanrioslogovaultisnolon6085
1959. from "The Revolution in Europe's Role in the World", clipped by TVRomanceFan1993
Nicknames: "The NET Circle"
Visuals: hand painted
Audio: Mic UP
Rarity: Very Rare
4th logo - 1958
clipped by jadsi3
rare announcer. from "Adventuring in the hand arts" clipped by googlechrom3297
invert. from S1E5 of "The Subject Is Jazz" clipped by PlasmaStorm24
Nicknames: "ETVNETETV"
Visuals: hand painted
Rarity: Extremely Rare
CLG note:"This logo appears to be used for NBC co-productions, since all of its known appearances have been on such."
5th logo - 1958
from S1E2 of "The Subject Is Jazz", clipped by PlasmaStorm24
Nicknames: "Boxes" "Unearthed Obscure Treasure" "Epitome of 50's" "Deco Carpet Design"
Visuals: hand painted
Rarity:: Extremely Rare
AVID note:"This logo is an oddity, as this logo's existence was practically unknown until Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning uploaded The Subject is Jazz: Performance on October 29, 2018. Its similarity to the NBC "Chimes" logo may or may not be a coincidence, as The Subject is Jazz was a co-production with NBC."
CLG note:"This is an interesting precursor to the 1960 logo."
6th logo - 1959 to 1961
1959. from "That Free Men May Live: Martin Luther King, Jr.", clipped by OckGypsy
1959. from "Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt", clipped by aldenpbs
1959, cut off. from S1E3 of "Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt", clipped by AlternativeTelevision
1960. clipped by googlechrom3297
